building an airstrip

[Skydive206]

Bigger plane on the Ranch. Nice that it is starting to turn green. Didnt even have to use Beta on landing. I trimmed off the tops of the trees since the last photo. With a Chainsaw, not the props!!!

[Stol]

I spent the day spreading grass seed on my 100 X 3000' runway.... I used a fertilizer spreader, 250 lbs of Sodar streambank wheatgrass, a snowmobile and had decent weather.... All this happened on top of 2 feet of snow... It actually worked GREAT to !!!!..

Ben
2WY3

[Skydive206]

I bet you could realy tell the coverage. My Kentucky fescue 31 said not to seed until temps are 60 -70 so I will wait a little longer. Now that he horses are gone the grass is punching out well already.

[Skydive206]

This photo is from my swimming pool. Backyard pilot.com

[emflys]

Just mowed the strip at my dads ranch. It will be dry grass in another 3 weeks, and dirt in another month and a half or less. Wish it could be grass, but just too little water in CA foothills for that. My dad just pulls out the water trailer to keep the dust down when we have ops.

[58Skylane]

Sweet pic, emflys!! Do bad you didn't have enough water to keep it irrigated through the summer.

[wirsig]

You get any snow last night 206? 2 hrs west of you we got a couple inches and it's still snowing. Good to see you're moved in!

[Skydive206]

Great Pic EMFlys. Im in STL, no snow here, didnt stay at the ranch last night. News shows the snow is on the edge of my place. It will be windy, Find out how well my screw in tie downs held. The ground was soft enough that I used some 3in logs as chocks all around. Im afraid any damadge will be from the wind blowing the tiedown straps against the plane.

[courierguy]

We've got plenty of snow still, it's just a little higher up. At least the runway is snowfree and almost dried out.

[dirtstrip]

courierguy,
Are you using those new Datum skis yet? Looks like you have the snow for it. I'd sure like a report or pictures posted if you get the time. I'm going to wait till the fall before ordering. There's a few questions to be resolved before changing mine over to hollow axles.

[courierguy]

I'll be taking notes, and will be set up to help. The only reason I ordered these so late in the season was if the whole scenario for my situation works out as I hope, and next winter I don't spend all my time trying to keep my runway blown out, I have to now NOW as this summer and fall I can prep the winter runway area: pull sage brush, build a ramp so I can start my take off roll (slide?), from the embankment my hanger apron is on down to the general slope the rest of my strip. On my last property, on the same mountain, I had a similar setup to transition from my driveway to the slope of the runway, the ramp works good for my setup.

[Skydive206]

Took the backhoe down to try and scrape off a berm at the bottom of the runway. It was too wet, made ruts and messed it all up down there. Left the backhoe on a solid dry spot and will have to wait until it gets better before bringing it back up the hill. If anyone though about stopping by beware that there is a big yellow piece of steel on the first third of a 1450ft grass strip. Sometime early this summer I will get a commercial crew to come in and do it right, leveled, pack it and drop some gravel in the right spots.

[Stol]

I learned that 'issue' the first year I build my dirt strip.. if it is wet or damp or still soggy from the winter thaw.. Stay the hell off of it. You will make a mess faster then ACORN will cast a vote for some homeless street drunk. And yeah,,,,, both messes are damn hard to fix.

[Skydive206]

Note to self, Twin Otter will go places backhoes wont.

[Stol]

Hi Mr Skydive...... I am just being the devils advocate here and in no way trying to disrespect you at all.

A fully loaded Twin Otter will weigh close to what a back hoe weighs... The backhoe tires are ALOT wider, so they introduce less pounds per square inch of damage then the skinny tires the otter has on it. The otter travels faster across the ground in most of its operating range so rutting is not that apparent. The backhoe will work in a given spot and 'wallow' around and the damage is obvious. I can see from the pic you posted that the otter is sitting pretty on a piece of ground and that you guys already have fresh grass growth.. That is a good thing and a bad thing. Good meaning the grass is promoting growth of both above ground grass blade production and below ground root structure. When the runway is still wet, well ,,,,,,lets call it moist, it is still prone to rutting.

Even if it is slight and hidden, below the new grass growth the ruts are still there. When the runway dries out and the grass grows high the ruts made early on are now hidden... In a 'perfect storm' ie, the plane lands perfectly in the hidden ruts later is the summer when those ruts have hardened the potential of a plane getting squirlley is a possibility. I might be beating a almost dead horse here but I would hate to see you have a mess on your hands. I assume you will be rolling the runway to remove any imperfections ? This is just food for thought and worth exactly what you paid for it,, thats 0.00000

Tailwinds.

Ben.

[Skydive206]

I posted a picture of an 3/4 full Otter not sinking into the ground and just got off a backhoe that did. Otter went places backhoe wont. OK so I can claw my way up and down a mountain with the hoe. Didnt want to make a bigger mess so I will wait. Not just ruts but a hole every 6 feet. Not the best time to Fly off of it, drive tractors on it, or run a backhoe down it. No Shit. Easy to lean on the fence and say wait but I got a lot to get done so I have time for summer flying and BBQ.

[buzzlatka]

Didn't see your airplanes at 3sq this morning. Guess they are at the ranch permanently.

[Skydive206]

Grass is starting to come in. No backhoe at the end of the runway. Left the other morning after a late night thunderstorm, mud flying everywhere, landed at a grass strip on a sandy river bottom and tires were dry. I wish my place was sandy instead of clay under the grass. Next time.

[Skydive206]

I do nt think full power holding the breaks is the best anyway. I have 1100 ft with much less slope (no fences) and I do a full power from a turn (never stop the plane). I think you get more prop grab that way. Tim

I told the wife about the turn onto the "runway", It was fun watching her pick up speed going around the barn. I was sitting in back with the doors off holding on. After I clean up a manure pile ( in my pants ) and level a little she should be able to do it better.

[Skydive206]

Got a quote for the taxi way and launching pad yesterday. The blade and Roll will be about $1500 and the stone could cost between $2000 and $5000 depending on how thick and type. Thinks the best time to get into it is June or July. I like the idea of puting the Red Fescue in the gravel to bind it. Everything would be a mess until next spring and seed takes a good hold. We were flying off it yesterday and at least now clear water instead of mud was splashing off the 8.50s during TO.